More businesses are turning to document automation as a fast and efficient solution. Freeing up time to focus on more valuable and impactful tasks is vital. The ability to scale in response to demand and reduce the risk of human error is essential.
Document automation solves some of the major problems of processing traditional communications. Therefore, it’s helped many businesses to improve their operational efficiency, as managing documents across departments is complex. This is especially since different departments and functions have different drivers and incentives when sending documents.
However, with document automation businesses have been able to take control of their communications and improve both department and employee productivity. The benefits have propelled it into a variety of organisations and industries. In today’s digital age, we can create, approve and send out secure daily communications.
Here’s a guide on everything you need to know about PDF and document automation. In this guide, we will discuss:
- What is document automation?
- Key to digital transformation
- Security is key
- How does it work?
- What types of documents can you automate?
- The benefits
- How can it enhance business processes?
- Datagraphic’s multichannel communications platform
What is document automation?
Document automation management removes time-consuming and error-prone processes. This saves organisations from countless hours of repetitive work while providing real-time data syncing and built-in controls. This ensures regulatory compliance and professional-grade branded assets that leave a great impression.
Document automation software can output communications securely across multiple channels. This means that employees can access personalised HR and reward information easily and effectively, whilst increasing engagement.
A document automation solution includes a variety of features that contribute to a successful digital transformation effort. Document assembly and document management should be quick, easy and accurate, enabled by standard and customised document templates and branding.
Document automated templates can be implemented at different levels. Whether it’s incorporated to trigger speed delivery, increase productivity or reduce manual steps. It ensures businesses capture relevant information and that the data is processed accurately.
The data-driven and the customer-centric world we live in demands engaging, accurate and timely information across digital and printed communications 24/7. This is why it’s an ever-growing solution for innovative businesses that value their customer needs and strive to work smarter not harder.
Key to digital transformation
Document automation is a key digital transformation trend in today’s digital age, and early adopters in finance, HR, operations, customer services and IT are already seeing the benefits. It’s already demonstrated how essential it is when future-proofing your working day and improving operational efficiency.
Processing documents is a standard operation for many businesses. Whether it’s distributing customer documents, invoicing and producing statements, or delivering time-critical employee communications, it takes time, money and effort.
According to Frevvo, multi-tasking can be counterproductive and costs companies 40% of lost productivity simply due to constant task-switching. Professionals take 18 minutes to locate a document manually and spend 50% of their time searching for information. This highlights the scale of opportunity that is available for it to thrive and save businesses from manual labour.
Security is key
One of the biggest challenges is to produce and deliver these documents in an efficient, secure and compliant way. However, as technology advances, information security demands more attention.
Today, personal data is shared across hundreds of platforms, 24/7/365. Passwords and financial information are valuable commodities to cybercriminals. It has never been more paramount to protect confidential personal data and documents from unauthorised access.
However, all too regularly, we read about data security violations in the press, resulting in high-profile data breaches. These costly mistakes impact consumer trust and credibility and can lead to substantial compensation claims and legal services and action. With more employees also working remotely, organisations are finding it harder to administer cybersecurity measures.
How does document automation work?
Increasingly, automation is being used across multiple industries, in particular where teams of individuals output high volumes of printed documents. But how?
PDF document automation plays a large part in any operation. It allows organisations to process time-critical and highly complex communications automatically at speed. This saves time and money and frees strain from an already busy workforce.
It also refers to mechanising the output of a generated document from corporate ERP, HCM and CRM systems. Having this in place enables documents to be automatically verified, enhanced, rejected, approved and mailed. All based on a set of predetermined rules and logic.
Automating document production lets businesses control exactly what is and how it’s sent. This will be without needing multiple vendors to manage the different communication channels.
What types of documents can you automate?
Below are some examples of documents that can be automated:
- Appointment letters
- Reward statements
- Direct debit mandates, dunning and debt recovery letters
- Rent increase letters
- Terms & conditions change letters or service change letters
- Year-end statements
- Invoices and statements
- Welcome letters
- Payslips
- PDFs
- Other legal documents
What are the benefits of document automation?
Document automation gives every business more time to focus. Repetitive and labour-intensive tasks can form a significant part of some day-to-day job functions. This distracts a workforce from tasks that create business impact and drive results.
Ultimately, it can act as an alternative form of employment and remove the burden of manual document creation. So far many have experienced lots of benefits, which are covered below.
Higher productivity
One of the major benefits of document automation is that more work can be completed in less time. It improves both productivity and operational efficiency, with immediate effect. This is key to businesses in need of effective solutions and document control.
It makes it easy to create and deliver professional, branded content that is ready to share. In the document automation process, companies can shrink cycle times and eliminate wasteful re-work. It will also improve outcomes and positively impact the customer experience.
Improved service
Document automation allows businesses to scale up or down when they need to. The flexibility makes it easier for businesses to meet fluctuating volumes, and cater to customer needs effortlessly. In the process, companies can shrink cycle times, eliminate wasteful re-work, improve outcomes and positively impact the customer experience.
Cost savings
With technological development and efficient operations, businesses will save money. Gaining more opportunities like this has increased enough profits for businesses to save and invest straight back into the company.
Better security and accuracy
With embedded workflow capabilities, all content will be routed, accessed and stored according to pre-set rules and policies. As a result, cycle times will shrink and compliance will be improved.
Document automation gives businesses the control to set rules and logic. This will also prevent inaccurate documents from being dispatched or intercepted.
Finally, having a cloud-based storage system guarantees document security and privacy while surfacing the content to all users who need it or should have access to it, on any network or device.
Drive results
Partnering with a document automation solution provider is the first step that will bring rapid results.
It also offers a secure, end-to-end multichannel communications platform will allow you to reap the benefits of knowledge and experience across the development. Track the implementation and growth of your projects, while enabling you to engage with just one supplier.
How can document automation enhance business processes?
Document automation brings many possibilities in terms of document control and output options. This will enable highly targeted communications between you and your contacts.
Here are just three ways a multichannel communications system could enhance your business processes by automating PDFs and documents.
Automate your channel of delivery
Document automation makes multi-channel delivery a breeze. You can automate the sending of documents to different channels without having to split data or invest in different systems.
Upgrade urgent documents
Instead of having to manually sift through documents to separate send classes, you can formulate an automated rule. For example, every document that includes the word ‘urgent’ could be automatically upgraded to first-class.
Automatically reject non-conforming documents
Imagine being able to automatically reject items. Maybe you’re sending invoices and don’t want anything with a ‘zero’ amount being delivered. Or maybe you only want items delivered that match the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF) database. Either way, this will reduce overspending on undelivered mail.
Introducing Datagraphic’s multichannel communications platform
Innovative document workflow automation solutions don’t involve licensing costs or time-consuming new software or hardware projects. They use data from an organisation’s existing software, removing the need for additional capital outlay. This also facilitates swift implementation, working with and enhancing legacy systems to deliver ROI in weeks, not years.
A PDF and document automation tool can unlock data that sits trapped in your corporate legacy systems. You can apply a wide range of document rules to automate and control output. This will also streamline business processes to save significant amounts of labour and money.
Aceni automates the production and delivery of your customer, supplier and employee-facing communications. How? Using data from your existing systems applies rules and logic to automate tasks.
This makes communicating with your customers, employees and stakeholders straightforward. Everyone likes to be reached differently. That is why Aceni works with all communication channels to help reduce the time spent on managing consuming customer communications.
We hope that this article has given you lots of information and tips on document automation, but if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. If you like the sound of our multichannel communications platform, book a demo today and see how it can improve your business processes.
